One Winter's Night
by Rhiannon Runa
Summary: Marco is a seasoned firefighter and his husband, Thatch, is a popular chef running his own restaurant. Their lives are forever changed one winter's night when an anonymous person leaves an unexpected delivery at the firehouse where Marco works. One Piece modern AU. Marco x Thatch. Rated 'T' to be safe.
1. It's Not a False Alarm

**One Winter's Night**

 **Summary:** Marco is a seasoned firefighter and his husband, Thatch, is a popular chef running his own restaurant. Their lives are forever changed one winter's night when an anonymous person leaves an unexpected delivery at the firehouse where Marco works. One Piece modern AU. Marco x Thatch. Rated 'T' to be safe.

 **Notes** : I recently read a news article about a baby that had been left at a firehouse's baby-box, and honestly did not know they were still around. But, they are. The baby's alright, just so you guys know. So, after reading the article, this little idea popped into my head and I started to work with it. As always, I hope you guys enjoy and I look forward to your reviews.

P.S. I don't intend to put "Path Towards Tomorrow" on hold in favor of this story. Besides, I intend for "One Winter's Night" to be a relatively short story—five, maybe seven, chapters at the most.

 **Disclaimer:** One Piece belongs to Oda.

* * *

 **CH. 1:** It's Not a False Alarm

In the seven years he's been stationed at the Red Line Fire Department, Marco has only heard the security alarm for the baby box go off only a handful of times. Each of those eight times it ended up being a false alarm triggered by curious kids who had no idea what it was or did. One such group had oh-so-kindly stuffed a raccoon in the box… That had been a nightmare. It was five firefighters against one pissed off racoon with extremely sharp teeth. Not a single one of them ended up bitten or scratched by the damned thing, and the raccoon—while spitting and hissing—ran off without so much as a 'thank-you very much' when they released it back into the wild.

After that, the chief insisted on putting a sign up to ward off any further potential pranksters. It didn't work.

Which is why Marco is grumbling when hears the tell-tale alarm go off while he's taking a quick doze in the bunkhouse. "Damn kids," Marco mutters, pushing the blankets off and dragging his half-asleep ass out of his bunk.

A head pops up from the bunk across from his. "Oh, good, you're already up, Marco. Give a shout if it's another raccoon or some other critter," Vista says before promptly rolling over to get some more shut eye.

"Haha," Marco gives his coworker's back the finger then stomps out, cursing.

As he heads downstairs, Marco wonders where the hell his other coworker—who's supposed to be up in case they're called out to fire—is at. He doesn't spy Jozu in the kitchen, though he does note the closed bathroom door and the light beneath. A midnight bathroom run it looks like. Also, judging from the sounds of it, his coworker was _working_ overtime to get out of the bathroom as soon as possible.

Marco just shook his head. Rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes, Marco hurries over to the baby-box and shuts down the security alarm. Although he knows it's going to be another false alarm, he follows procedure by opening it and peeping inside.

Okay… So, this time around it wasn't a false alarm after all.

Marco's eyes bulge three times their normal size at the sight of a squirming bundle that in no way resembled a raccoon.

"Holy shit," Marco breathes. "Th-there's an actual baby in here yoi!"

Hearing his voice, the infant is suddenly awake and turning its little head towards Marco. Probably expecting someone else's face, not this guy's ugly mug, the baby began to cry. Loudly.

"Ah! Don't cry, little guy, it's going to be okay. I've got you yoi," Marco starts at the infant's crying. Gently as possible, he removes the baby from the box while tucking the blankets more snugly around its small body.

His coworkers, having heard the crying, naturally all get up to find out what's happening. They were just as surprised as Marco had been when they saw him holding the squalling baby in his arms.

"Shit. Someone actually left their baby in that thing," Jozu stammers, peering down into the baby's face.

"This is a first," Vista comments. "I've heard stories of it happening in other departments, but this is the first time someone's left a baby here."

"What are we supposed to do with it?" The new guy, Rakuyo, questions. "Do we call the police? Or take it to the hospital?"

"We have some medical training, but it's probably best we take the baby over to the hospital just to be on the safe side. There could be underlying problems we can't check for here."

"Vista's right yoi," Marco says, into the kitchen where he sets the baby down. By now, the baby has since stopped crying and is staring up at all the unfamiliar faces while Marco unwraps the blankets to check for any injuries. As he is doing so, a piece of paper slips onto the table. Curious, Marco picks it up to read it aloud. "It says, 'This is a hard choice, but I don't know what else to do. I can't give my son the care he deserves, so I'm giving him up with a heavy heart. I love him so, so much, but this is the best thing I can do for him. Please, I beg you, take care of him in my place. P.S. his name is Ace.'"

Sighing heavily, Marco sets the note down. "As sad as this is, it's probably for the best," Marco says, checking over the baby. His hand stills at the sight of the still attached umbilical cord. "Fuck, this is a newborn. I'd guess he's a couple of hours or maybe a day old yoi."

"Shouldn't we look for his mother then? She might need medical attention if she's recently given birth."

"We could try, but by this point she's likely long gone. In the meantime, let's get him to the hospital."

Marco agrees, carefully wrapping the baby back into the blankets his mother had left him in. "Someone should call ahead and let the hospital know we're coming with a baby yoi," Marco suggests. As Vista hurries off to do that, Marco lifts the baby into his arms who has started to cry again. Giving him his finger to suck on, Marco coos softly while slowly rocking the baby in his arms. "Hey, you're alright, Ace. Ssssshhhhh, you're safe now yoi."

* * *

Rather than leave the hospital, Marco decides to stick around and give Fossa a call to fill in for him at the station in case they were called in for an emergency. Since he's the one who found Ace, Marco felt entirely responsible for the baby and needed reassurance that he'd be alright.

Besides being hungry, the doctor informed Marco that Ace was a very healthy baby despite being born who knows where. It was encouraging to hear.

"What will happen to him?" Marco asks, peering through the glass into the nursery. He spots Ace, wrapped within a hospital blanket now with a blue cap covering his head, easily enough in one of the cribs.

The doctor also glances. "We've already contacted Child Services. Unless his mother has a change of heart and decides to come forward, he'll be placed into foster care to await adoption."

Foster care? Marco frowns. The idea didn't sit well with him at all until a sudden thought strikes him. He thanks the doctor, shaking his hand, and steps away to make a call to his husband.

Thatch picks up after the fifth ring.

" _Marco? It's after one am…"_ he hears Thatch yawn sleepily on the other line.

"I know. Listen, Thatch, I'm at the hospital—" he never got to finish his sentence as Thatch shouts into the phone, causing Marco to cringe away from the sound.

" _Did something happen? God, are you hurt?! You're hurt, aren't you? Shit, I'll be there soon!"_

"I'm fine yoi. I promise I'm fine, Thatch. Look, someone left a baby at the firehouse tonight," he waits patiently as Thatch 'awwwed' before continuing. "Which is why I'm here at the hospital yoi. His mother gave him up, so he doesn't have anyone else. Um, I want to ask you what you think about being a dad?"

Utter silence. Then, _"WHAT?!"_

"Thatch, I think I want to adopt this kid. No, I want to. I know this is out of the blue, but I think we're ready to be parents yoi."

He hears Thatch squeak before Thatch's end goes silent again. There's suddenly a 'thud' that sounded very much like a body hitting the floor. Marco panics.

"Thatch yoi! Are you alight? Thatch? Thatch?!"

His husband, the man whom Marco treasures most in the world, had, to put it bluntly, passed the fuck out.


	2. The Decision is Made

**CH. 2:** The Decision is Made

Sitting in the cushioned, not at all comfortable hospital chair, Marco wiggles uncomfortably while watching Thatch cradle a soundly sleeping Ace in his arms.

Leaning forward in his seat, Marco says, "I'll understand if you don't want to do this, Thatch. Raising a child is a huge responsibility, I know, but I think we're ready to take this step yoi."

Thatch doesn't reply. Instead, he starts to gently rock Ace while quietly humming a nonsensical tune under his breath.

Marco continues. "We've talked about adopting a couple of times in the past. But, back then, we both agreed we weren't financially or mentally prepared to raise a child. I was just starting out at the station and you had only recently opened the restaurant, and we decided then it just wasn't the right time. Now, however, we're both doing well enough we can afford to—"

Here, Thatch chimes in with, "Let's adopt him, Marco."

"Plus, we've got plenty saved up in our…" Marco pauses abruptly. As Thatch's statement begins to sink in, a huge grin spreads across his face and Marco surges to his feet. "Y-you're sure yoi? You're really sure about this?"

"I'm sure, Marco. Positive of it, actually," Thatch's grin mirrors his partner's. Next thing he knew, Marco is pulling him and Ace—still in his arms—into a loving embrace.

"Having Ace is going to change so much in our lives," Marco says, pulling away but kept his hands on Thatch's shoulders. "It isn't going to be easy yoi."

"I know that, Marco," Thatch chuckles. "I've thought this over and I believe you're right, we're ready for this."

Thatch turns to Ace sleeping in his arms then softly ran his index finger across the baby's freckled nose, watching as Ace's tiny face crinkles up from his touch. Thatch giggles at the adorable sight before turning back to Marco. "So, let's do it. Let's do what we need to do to bring this little guy home with us."

"About that yoi."

"About what?"

"Our flat's too small."

"Your point is…. Oh, we're going to have to find a new place," Thatch says, realization dawning. "Aren't we?"

Marco nods. "We'll need to upgrade to something just a tad bit bigger than our current place. I'd really like to move into a house with an actual yard, but I don't mind living in an apartment yoi."

"I bet your dad wouldn't mind it one bit if we asked to move in with him until we find a bigger place," Thatch suggests, gently repositioning Ace so that the baby is resting against his chest. His face becomes a dark, unhappy scowl. "I'd suggest my folks' place, but you know…" Thatch awkwardly trails off, lips pressing into thin line.

"I know. You don't have to bring them up yoi."

If they could help it, neither of them ever brought up Thatch's parents since it only upset them. Just mentioning his parents usually put Thatch in a day-long funk that had Marco scrambling to cheer his partner up while also trying his hardest to keep a lid on his anger. There were times when Marco desperately wanted to beat the ever-living shit out of Thatch's parents. It simply blew his mind how someone's parents could willingly outcast their child.

So, as a rule of thumb, Marco and Thatch generally avoided bringing them up. But, to Marco's surprise, Thatch didn't immediately abandon the subject.

"My parents have always wanted to be grandparents," Thatch says, voice quiet. He clears his throat before continuing, his voice a little louder but not loud enough to wake Ace. "Ace would be their first grandchild since none of my other siblings have kids yet as far as I know, anyhow."

Marco tentatively asks, "Do you want to tell them yoi?" If Thatch wants to tell his screwed-up parents, Marco will respect his husband's decision and follow along with it. However, that does not mean he'll be happy about it. Not one tiny bit. And, if they are told, Marco doesn't want Thatch's parents to be a part of Ace's life in any way. He knows it's selfish of him to reach that kind of decision without consulting Thatch first, but does he care? The answer is a resounding 'no.' Thatch's parents made it very clear they want nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with their disgraceful son and his equally disgusting partner.

Yep, there's no fucking way those shitty people will ever be involved in Ace's life. No way in hell.

Thatch shakes his head in the negative. "No, there's no point. I'm pretty sure instead of being thrilled, my folks will only open another can of drama worms if I tell them about Ace. It wouldn't be fair to Ace dropping him into the middle of my family's issues," he cups the back of Ace's head protectively. Replacing his earlier scowl with an expression of excitement, he changes the subject with, "None of that matters since your father is going to be the greatest grandfather ever. How about you? Have you told Pops yet?"

The change of subject was a relief.

"We just agreed we'd adopt Ace five minutes ago, Thatch, so how could I have told Pops yet?" Marco snorts through his nose in amusement.

"Oh, yeah, right," Thatch rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Here, let me hold him for a bit," Marco tells Thatch, holding out his arms. Thatch complies, somewhat grudgingly, and carefully transfers the small bundle into Marco's arms. Throughout the exchange, Ace remains fast asleep and hardly stirs when Thatch puts him in Marco's hold. "As much as I want to tell Pops right away, I want to wait until we've met with the social worker and started the adoption process. Besides, who knows if we'll be allowed to adopt him because of our, er, marital status yoi."

Thatch scoffs then rolls his eyes, arms crossing over his chest. "Hmph! I doubt they'll make a fuss about it, Marco. Even if they do try to strike down our petition to adopt Ace, I bet there'd be a public outcry once the story got out."

"True," Marco says, but quickly shakes his head. "Woah, hold on, I don't want this spread all over the news yoi. If reporters get a hold of this story, we'll be kissing our private lives goodbye until things settle down again, and who knows how long that could take."

"You're probably right. Eeek, I don't want reporters randomly popping up at the restaurant to ask personal questions—although, that'd give us some free publicity," Thatch comments, tapping his chin in consideration.

"Thatch yoi," Marco says warningly.

Ducking his head, the chef frantically waves his hands through the air. "You're right. Plus, they'd just be underfoot anyway, and we really don't need that at the restaurant."

A knock on the door signals the nurse coming into the room. She smiles at the two men as she approaches. "It's time for Ace's bottle, so I'll be taking him back to the nursery now," she says, reaching out to take Ace from Marco's arms. With Ace secure in her arms, the nurse coos at the baby before she looks back at Marco and Thatch. Taking note of something only she could really see, the nurse smiles at them knowingly.

"What? Is there something in my beard?" Thatch runs his fingers through his short beard, stopping when the nurse giggles and shakes her head.

"No, but you two have got that shine in your eyes."

"What shine yoi?" Marco tilts his head to the side, not understanding what she meant.

"That special shine belonging to new parents. I take it you two decided to adopt Ace?"

Marco holds his hand out to Thatch who takes it and the two share a smile before Marco answers. "Yeah. We want Ace to be a part of our family," he twines his fingers into his husband's.

The nurse beams at them. "Ace is a very lucky baby," she tells them before walking out of the room. Only to come back five seconds later with another woman wearing a white button-up blouse, a black pencil skirt and matching heels. Without the nurse saying anything, Marco and Thatch figure her to be the social worker assigned to Ace. After pointing them out, the nurse left. Giving them an encouraging smile as she disappears from the doorway, Ace wailing in her arms. Apparently, he had woken up at some point and just now felt the need to express his hunger.

"Marco and Thatch Newgate I presume?" The woman asks, extending her hand out towards them. "I'm Miss Nico."

"That's us, ma'am. I'm Thatch and this is my husband, Marco," Thatch introduces himself and Marco, reaching out to shake Miss Nico's hand with Marco following suit.

Introductions complete, the three of them sat down and began to discuss the steps Marco and Thatch would need to take to adopt Ace.

* * *

Here's the second chapter you guys! Thank you so much for your kind words, reviewers; it makes me so happy to read them.


	3. You're a Grandpops, Pops!

**CH: 3 You're a Grandpops, Pops!**

With his shift over at the station and Thatch's restaurant closed for the night, Marco and Thatch drive over to his father's house. In the backseat behind them was a medium sized box. The day before Thatch had placed a handful of miscellaneous items Marco gave him into the box before expertly wrapping it up with sky blue wrapping paper then topped it with a dark blue bow.

Brushing a nervous hand through his hair, Thatch glances back at the gift as he wonders aloud, "How do you think he's going to react?"

Marco chuckles, flicking on the blinker as he makes a turn. He flicks it off afterward. "Knowing Pops, he's going to be ecstatic. Probably hug us until our backs break in half yoi."

"Heh, as much as I'm looking forward to having my back snapped in half, I'm mostly excited to see the expression on his face," he holds up his phone, giving it a slight shake for emphasis. "And we'll forever have the memory of it. Do you think the wrapping paper will give it away?"

"Nah, probably not. He'll probably be a bit more suspicious about what's in the box yoi," Marco replies, grinning.

"And he doesn't have a clue what's going on?" Thatch questions with a sidelong glance at his partner.

"Nope. Pops has no idea yoi."

Thatch stares ahead in disbelief. Stopping at a red light, Marco glances over at Thatch and raises an eyebrow as he asks, "What's with that look yoi?"

"I'm just amazed that neither of us told him is all and, I'm not going to lie, Marco, I nearly broke the other day when Pops came into the restaurant," Thatch admits, twiddling his thumbs. "Just the sight of his face made me want to spill the beans, but I held strong!"

The light turns green again and Marco drives forward, all the while chuckling before he, too, makes a confession. "You're not the only one, Thatch. Pops stopped by the station out of the blue yesterday, which is when I mentioned we were planning to stop by tonight, and I nearly told him yoi. If we hadn't got a call to help a kid stuck in a tree, I think I would've broken yoi."

"I don't blame you. It's not easy keeping secrets from your dad," Thatch pats Marco's shoulder in empathy. Suddenly, the chef perks up. "But, it'll be all over after tonight."

"Actually, it'll all be over in a few minutes. We're here yoi."

Thatch glances out the passenger side window to see that they had, indeed, pulled up to Marco's childhood home—lovingly referred to as _Moby Manor_ in honor of Edward Newgate's beloved sailboat, _The Moby Dick_. It met a cruel end after a freak fire broke out and burned the beloved boat beyond repair. Understandably, Marco never liked to talk about the incident. He and his father had been onboard at the time of the fire.

"You coming yoi?" Marco asks, snapping Thatch out of his thoughts to find his husband had opened his door and was waiting, gift in hand, for him to get out.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I was spacing out," Thatch unbuckles his seatbelt before getting out and slamming the car door behind him.

They weren't even on the front porch yet before the front door was suddenly swung open to reveal one extremely tall man with an upcurving, white mustache and a huge grin beneath it. "Thatch! Marco! I'm glad you guys made it, guarara," the older male's voice booms as he pulls them into a tight hug. "Have you guys eaten anything?" He asks, leading them into the house.

"We haven't had the chance yet yoi," Marco tells his father while walking into the living room. "Have you? If not, Thatch probably won't mind making something yoi."

When his father indicated that he had not eaten yet, Thatch immediately set off towards the kitchen to cook up a filling meal with whatever ingredients at his disposal. With only eggs, ham meat, cheese, fresh peppers, and flour to work with, Thatch make a quick breakfast for dinner with omelets and pancakes. After eating and cleaning up, they pile into the living room with Thatch and Marco on the couch while Pops settles into his overstuffed armchair.

"What's with the present, you two?" Marco's father asks, pointing to the blue-wrapped box in between them.

Marco and Thatch share toothy grins. They clasp hands briefly before Marco picks the gift up to pass over to his father who takes it carefully into his enormous hands. "I hope you like it, Pops."

"My birthday isn't for another couple of months. What's the occasion?" The elder man asks.

"You'll know once you've opened it," Thatch wiggles like an excited puppy. "So, hurry up and open it already, Pops!"

"Gurarara, alright then."

One good tear later, Edward Newgate tosses the wrapping paper to his feet then opens the box. Immediately, there is a confused expression on his face as he begins to pull out a pair of baby booties, a onesie, a small cap, and a pale blue blanket. "Aren't these your old baby things, Marco?" His father chuckles, reaching back into the box to grab a folder that had been laying underneath the baby blanket.

Marco and Thatch, intertwining their hands together, watch as Pops opens the folder to read its contents. The older man's golden-brown eyes bulge for a second before filling up with tears. He turns to gaze over at his sons with those unshed tears of joy in his eyes. "I-is this real, Marco?"

At a nod from Marco and Thatch, Edward Newgate soars to his feet with a jubilant shout. In a single swift movement, he snatches them both off the couch into a bone-crushing hug.

Through it all, Thatch completely forgot to take pictures with his phone.

"Congratulations, you're a Grandpops, Pops!" Marco shouts over his father's happy sobs.

"And we're fathers!" Thatch adds with a gleeful shout of his own.

Marco's father squeezes even harder, lifting them off the floor as he expresses his utter joy. He was a grandfather! Edward Newgate, said to be the strongest man in the world, giggles like a child himself at the thought.

"Pops? P-Pops! Mind letting us go? W-we can't really b-b-breathe," Thatch gasps out, though he was still grinning like a fool.

Pops smiles apologetically as he releases them. He wipes at his eyes. "Where's the little tyke anyway? I'd like to see my grandson, Marco."

"He's with a foster parent right now yoi. His social worker, Miss Robin Nico, will be bringing Ace over sometime tomorrow morning," Marco explains.

"Is this why you guys moved into a house?"

"Yep. Our old flat was way too small to raise a family in," Thatch says, picking up the discarded wrapping paper from the floor to throw away.

"Hmmm, makes sense. Marco. Thatch, mind if I crash at your new place tonight?" Holding Ace's certificate of adoption close to his chest, Edward Newgate grins at his sons.

They, of course, happily agree.

* * *

The next morning found Marco, Thatch and Pops nervously sitting at the kitchen table. While Thatch had made them a simple breakfast of eggs, toast and porridge, none of them were able to eat. Especially Marco and Thatch who felt as though butterflies were flitting about in their stomachs. Butterflies with wings made of iron or steel.

None of them were able to sit still during their wait for Ace's arrival.

"It's past ten," a jittery Thatch points out, glancing down at his phone laying in front of him on the table. "I figured she'd be here by now with Ace already."

"Don't worry yoi. They'll be here soon," Marco reassures, though he's just as fidgety as his husband. His gaze keeps straying to his watch.

"Hey, do you think we're ready for this? I mean, do you think we've got everything we need?" Thatch asks.

All three sets of eyes turn as one towards the living room literally piled up with bags and boxes of various baby supplies. Some of which Marco and Thatch had bought themselves while the rest, however, had been provided by Marco and Thatch's coworkers. The nursery—which had been sparse only yesterday—was now filled with brand new baby furniture all thanks to Marco's father. After learning he was the only one who had not been told about Ace, he insisted on buying all new furniture for the nursery as a first gift to his grandson.

Marco and Thatch were extremely grateful.

"Yes, Thatch, I think we've got everything we need and that we're definitely ready yoi."

Outside the house, they heard a car door slam. All three of them were on their feet in a heartbeat.

"This is it," Marco's father tells them under his breath. Giving their backs an encouraging pat, he gently nudges them towards the front door. As badly as he wants to see his grandson for the first time, Edward Newgate understands that this is their moment, so he hangs back a short distance to wait.

Side by side, Marco and Thatch answer the door to the sight of Robin with Ace, bundled up in his car seat, in hand. They're practically tripping over themselves while inviting her inside out of the frigid morning air. Within a few minutes, she sets Ace into Marco's waiting arms. Thatch is there, hugging his husband's abdomen as he leans over his shoulder to peer into Ace's freckled face.

Ace peers up at them both, curious.

"Look, his hair's grown out some," Thatch runs a hand through the soft, downy locks of black hair. "His eyes changed color too. They're not blue anymore."

"You're right. They look almost gray or silver yoi," Marco notes as well, brushing a finger alongside Ace's pudgy cheek.

To their delight, Ace giggles and smiles from Marco's touch. Their hearts swell near to bursting at the adorable sight.

"My, this is the first time I've seen him smile. I think he likes you guys already," Robin informs them with a small smile.

"Really?" Thatch gawks at her then down at Ace in his husband's arms.

"From what I've read, babies don't smile until they're a month or two old. Ace is almost a month old now, so it makes sense yoi."

"Well, it looks like little Ace is in good hands with you two," the social worker leans over Ace, giving his tiny head a soft pat. "Goodbye, Ace. I wish you happiness with your new family. Take care."

"Thank you, Miss Nico."

She bobs her head in acknowledgment before leaving.

"Hey, Ace, there's someone else here to meet you yoi," Marco coos after the social worker is gone. Then he and Thatch head back into the living room where Marco's father had been left waiting. "Pops," Marco starts, carefully transferring Ace into his father's arms. "I want you to meet Ace Newgate, your grandson."

"Hello, Ace. I'm your Grandpops," Edward Newgate keeps his voice low so as not to frighten the baby. Gurgling, hardly bothered by this enormous man holding him, Ace stretches his hand out towards his grandfather's face and the older man obliges by lowering his head, allowing tiny fingers to grasp his mustache. Ace manages to give it a sharp tug, but Marco's father only laughs without pulling away. "Guararara, he's got some strength in that little hand of his."

Ace's grandfather allows him to explore his face for several moments more before being given to Thatch. Ace's gray eyes rove over Thatch's face. "Those eyes, that hair, those adorable freckles, fingers and toes… He's perfect in every way," Thatch breathes, nuzzling his nose against Ace's much tinier one. Ace gurgles happily at this. Leaning into Marco, Thatch tells Ace with a beaming grin, "Welcome home, Ace!"

Instead of being rewarded with an oh-so-cute smile, Ace abruptly scrunches up his face and balls his tiny hands into fists, pushing one clutched fist into Thatch's T-shirt. A second later, Ace starts wailing.

Judging from the warmth that suddenly spreads across Ace's backside, Thatch reaches the quick conclusion of, "I think he just took a shit."

In annoyance, Marco tugs on his husband's earlobe as he scolds him, "Language yoi!"

"Gurarara! Welcome to fatherhood, you two!" Laughing heartily, Marco's father claps them both on their backs. "Congratulations!"

* * *

By the nine! Thank you all for your wonderful, amazing reviews! They've made me so happy reading them! As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and let me know what you think.


	4. A Collection of Firsts

**CH. 4: A Collection of Firsts**

[Ace's First Bath]

"I-is the water too warm, Pops?"

Marco's father sticks and swirls his fingers around in the sink—which Thatch cleaned over a dozen times just for this occasion—then smiles at Marco, patting his son's arm. Behind them, over by the table, Thatch is busy undressing a squirming Ace.

"It's fine, son."

"It's not too much water either yoi?" Marco asks, glancing down into the sink filled not even halfway full of lukewarm water.

His father assures him it isn't.

Once Thatch finishes undressing Ace, and Marco has gotten over his paranoia of accidentally drowning their son, Thatch eases Ace down into the water. They were expecting Ace to cry, however, he proves them wrong by giggling with delight. Soothed, apparently, by the water's warmth and the comforting thrum of his fathers' voices.

"Gurara, look this way, you two." Marco and Thatch turn as one when Pops addresses them, flinching back at the flash of a camera. Turns out, Ace is not a big fan of the camera flash and he starts to cry, having not expected it. His grandfather apologizes sheepishly under his sons' glares. "Oops, forgot to turn the flash off."

* * *

[Ace's First Night]

Later that night, hours after Marco's father left to go home, Thatch jerks awake in his and Marco's shared bed. His brows crease in confusion, unsure why he had woken up. There's not a peep from the baby monitor. Just to be on the safe side, Thatch spends several long minutes listening closely for any sounds of Ace waking up. He hears nothing. Thatch shrugs, getting comfortable once again and is about to drift back to sleep when a slow, creaking sound reaches his ears through the monitor.

"What the hell?" Thatch mumbles sleepily at the noise. He rolls over, shoving his hand over to Marco's side of the bed only to find it empty, but still rather warm. Marco must have only just recently gotten out of bed then, Thatch surmises. Yawning, the chef swings his legs over the side of the bed, rubs at his eyes, then gets up to stumble sleepily across the hall where the nursery is. Finding Marco sitting in the rocking chair beside Ace's crib comes as no surprise to Thatch. "Marco? What're you doing up? Is Ace alright?" Thatch asks, through another yawn.

"Ace is fine yoi," Marco continues to rock in the chair, not taking his eyes off their slumbering son as he answers Thatch in a soft tone. "I dreamt Ace's birth mother wanted him back. She came and took him away from us. Ace cried. Then he was gone yoi."

Marco lapses into silence.

"I see," and Thatch inwardly cringes. He really ought to come up with something better, more comforting to say than just 'I see.' Thatch sighs, shuffling over to kneel beside the rocking chair. "Marco," he begins, wrapping his fingers around his partner's hand. He presses a reassuring kiss onto Marco's calloused knuckles. "It was only a dream. You said it yourself, remember? There's hardly any chance Ace's mother will step forward. Even if she does, the courts likely won't side with her since she basically gave up her parental rights the moment she left him there. Come back to bed and get some sleep, alright?"

"Alright yoi."

They both lean over to whisper their goodnights—again—to Ace before heading back into their room and climbing underneath the blankets. They drift off to sleep in each other's arm.

An hour later a hungry Ace wakes up crying.

* * *

[Ace's First Outing]

"And this is where your Pops works yoi," Marco tells Ace, lifting the baby carrier up so that Ace could see the fire station in all its glory. "I don't think you remember it well, but we first met here yoi. What do you think, Ace? Like what you see?" Not that Ace knows what they are, Marco points out the fire trucks sitting in the opened garage.

Ace squeals in delight. Marco turns to Thatch, sticking his tongue out at his husband. "Hah! Told you he'd like the station better yoi!"

"T-that's only because he's not old enough to appreciate food yet!" Thatch stammers out, crossing his arms over his chest and sticking his lower lip out in a pout. "Just you wait, Marco. Once our little guy can eat food, he's so going to love the restaurant more."

Marco laughs, nudging Thatch's side. "Come on. Let's get Ace out of the cold for a while."

They head into the station where Marco's coworkers greet them.

"Marco! What'cha doin' here, kiddo?" His captain, Fossa, asks.

"Thatch and I wanted to get out for a bit and decided to give Ace a tour of the town."

"Enjoying the sights, eh little guy?" Fossa crouches down giving Ace's tummy a gentle poke. Ace giggles, grabbing at Fossa's finger. "Hehehe, I'll take that as a yes."

"Shove over, Captain," Vista elbows in so that he can peek into Ace's carrier. "He's grown a good bit since he first showed up here," Vista points out. "Won't be too much longer before he's babbling and crawling about."

"No doubt he'll be a little trouble maker," Jozu comments.

"He will not," Thatch protests, hands on his hips. "Ace is going to remain a sweet, sweet angel."

The firemen all share sidelong looks, but don't counter Thatch's words. Rakuyo changes the subject as he mentions aloud, "I wonder what his first word will be?"

"We're hoping it'll either be 'Pops,' 'daddy' or 'dad,' 'grandpops,' or something along those lines yoi," Marco shrugs, smiling beneath his lazy lidded eyes. "We can hope, but we know these kinds of things don't always work out how you want them to yoi."

"Heh," Fossa draws their attention to him when he snorts. Wiggling his eyebrows, he tells them, "I bet his first word is going to be 'yoi.'"

"What? Why would his first word be 'yoi' yoi….?" Marco starts to ask, only to trail off when he realizes what he just said. "Oh."

Thatch is laughing, holding his sides beside him. "I can see it happening too!"

"Who wants to bet on the kid's first word?" Vista proposes.

"I'm in. I'll bet fifty his first word will be 'yoi,'" Fossa throws in.

"Er," Rakuyo seems unsure, but he proclaims, "I bet fifty his first word will be some form of 'dad.' That's a pretty safe bet, I think," the next part he mumbles to Ace. "You gotta say it 'cause I don't want to lose fifty bucks, kiddo."

"A swear word," Jozu has a smug look on his face. "I bet fifty his first word will be a swear word. Knowing you guys, it's bound to happen."

"We don't swear that much," Thatch pauses, tilting his head to one side then the other and raising his hands in rapid succession. "Alright, I'll admit I can turn into a swear demon in the kitchen, but otherwise I don't swear that damn much—ah, dammit!"

"Oh, yeah, the kid's first word is definitely going to be a swear," Jozu smirks, looking triumphant.

* * *

[Ace's First Shots]

"Goo!" Ace crows before shoving his fingers into his mouth, sucking on the digits while gazing up at his fathers with trust shinning in his gray eyes.

Marco and Thatch feel like a pair of traitors.

They both knew and completely understood the necessity to vaccinate Ace, yet the new fathers feel as if they were betraying their child because they knew the shots would undoubtedly be painful. And they weren't going to be able to explain to Ace why it hurt. Well, they could explain, but it wasn't like Ace would be able to understand them.

"It'll be okay, Ace," Marco isn't sure who Thatch is trying to reassure more: Ace, him or himself. "Maybe it won't be too, too bad," Thatch is mumbling as the doctor reenters the room—in her hand four syringes. Marco bites his lip and Thatch blanches, watching as the doctor lays them down on the examination table beside Ace. "You're going to stick him with those! They're huge!"

Marco internally agreed with his husband's assessment. The needles looked way too large to be jabbing into an infant…

"They only look big when compared to his little body," she is quick to tell them. Probably used to such reactions after years of being in pediatric field. "Now, how about we get this nasty business over with, eh Ace?" Ace's only action is to blink at her uncomprehendingly. Without further ado, the doctor lightly dabs a spot on Ace's right thigh with an alcohol swab before uncapping the closest needle and sticking Ace. It was over in milliseconds. At the first jab, Ace seems unsure how to react and doesn't cry. By the second jab, however, he immediately starts to cry. Ace's sharp cries pull at Marco and Thatch's heartstrings—making them feel so helpless they can't just make the pain go away. All they can do is coo and cheer him on until the last shot is given and the last band aid is placed over the smarting area.

"All done," the doctor announces, tossing the used syringes in the proper bin before turning to smile at Ace now wailing in Marco's arms. She gave the baby's back a light pat. "You were such a brave boy, Ace," her next statement she directs at Marco and Thatch. "Everything looks good, you two. He's healthy as can be. He's got a healthy appetite, at his proper weight and height for his age. Unless something crops up sometime in the foreseeable future, he won't be due for another checkup until two months from now."

They thank her and shake her hand before carrying a still shrilly screaming Ace out into the waiting room—where they set up a follow-up appointment with a nurse—then outside to the car. By the time they have Ace secure in his car seat, Ace stops crying. Much to his parents' relief.

Thatch starts up the car and heads home. Every now and again Marco turns in his seat to stare back at Ace. This continues a good portion of the drive so, naturally, Thatch grows curious. "What's up, Marco?"

"Thatch, do you think babies can hold grudges yoi?" After what they just went through, Thatch decides the question isn't all that random. A bit weird, though, he admits since babies, as far as he knew, are incapable of such things.

"Er, I don't think they can. Why?"

"Because yoi, Ace is scowling at us—oh, no, now he's looking away," Marco reports. Then, leaning around his seat, Marco snaps his fingers to get his son's attention. Ace normally reacts to such cues, but the three-month old stubbornly refuses to glance his way. "Definitely ignoring me."

"Ace, buddy," Thatch calls out in a sweet voice. Getting no response either—not so much as a twitch—Thatch pouts into the rearview mirror. "He's ignoring me, too."

Turning back around in his seat, Marco sighs and slumps down. "I feel like complete shit."

"It had to be done. We don't want Ace to get some horrific disease."

"I know that yoi. Still, watching Ace get those shots was harder than I thought it'd be, Thatch."

"Same here," Thatch replies. "But, I'm sure our little Ace will forget all about this traumatic experience in a matter of minutes. Won't you, buddy?"

Ace responds by gurgling furiously at Thatch.

"I know, how about we go see Grandpops? I bet that'll perk Ace up," Thatch suggests, and Marco hastily agrees to his husband's idea. They knew how much Ace adored his grandfather.

* * *

[Ace's First Furry Encounter]

Thatch had known suggesting they visit Marco's father had been the best idea. Almost as soon as Pops opened the door, Ace's entire face lit up at the hulking sight of his grandpa. Edward Newgate grinned, taking Ace from Thatch and allowing his sons inside.

"This is your Grandpop's house, Ace. I don't believe you've been here yet. Which means," Ace's grandfather whistles. A moment later they hear the sound of nails clicking against the wooden floor as something rushes into the living room where they were sitting. Stefan, Edward Newgate's beloved dog, enters the living room. Tail wagging. "Sit, boy."

Stefan promptly sits in front of his master's chair.

"Pops, I'm not sure about this," Marco starts to say, worriedly looking between the dog and his infant son. Stefan is a well-trained dog. Marco knows that. But, he can't contain his worry since Ace had never been around animals until now. "Ace is still so tiny, and I don't want him accidentally upsetting Stefan yoi."

An equally worried Thatch nods, agreeing with his partner.

"Gurarara, don't worry, Marco. Stefan won't hurt a hair on my grandson's head, I swear it."

Marco and Thatch watch on, holding in nervous breaths, as their father introduces Ace to Stefan. Gently, Stefan sniffs at Ace's reaching hand before moving on to sniff the rest of the baby at his master's permission. Then, Stefan gives Ace's cheek a quick lick. Ace giggles at the feel of the dog's tongue against his face.

"I think you've made a new friend, Ace, gurarara," Ace's grandfather grins. As a reward for his good behavior, Stefan receives a good ear scratching and a treat. Contentedly, the dog curls up at his master's feet, where he turns his eyes up from time to time to check on Ace. "A guard dog too it seems!"

* * *

Not a very exciting chapter and I guess I could have included more firsts, but that would have been a lot to cover. I hope you guys enjoy, thank you for reading!

Until chapter five,

Runa


	5. Nighttime Surprises

**CH. 5: Nighttime Surprises**

After a very long, tiresome shift at the station, Marco drags his exhausted ass through the front door to find the house dark and quiet. First thing he does is pop his head into the nursery, finding Ace asleep in his crib. As much as he wants to hold his son, Marco's knows better than to wake a sleeping infant.

That had been a tough lesson to learn a couple of months back.

However…

Marco won't be able to go to bed unless he's at least had some physical contact with his child. The last time he had held Ace had been hours ago after all. Softly, he caresses Ace's cheek then his tiny, curled up fist next to his freckle covered face. Ace grunts softly, twitches about a bit, but, thankfully, he doesn't wake. The now eight-month old sleeps on. Dreaming about whatever it is babies dream about. Marco hopes they are good dreams.

"I love you, Ace. Sweet dreams, baby boy," Marco coos quietly, leaning into the crib to plant a gentle kiss on his son's head. After checking to make sure the baby monitor is working properly and picking up a few discarded toys on the floor, Marco leaves the nursery to pop his head into his and Thatch's bedroom.

Thatch is dead to the world, snoring and curled up on his side while fiercely hugging Marco's pillow—which Marco will have to wrestle from his sleeping partner's grasp once he got in bed. Shaking his head, Marco closes the door a crack then heads into the kitchen for a late-night dinner of leftover stew and bread. He watches some random late-night show while he eats, takes a relaxing shower afterward, dresses and is finally—oh so finally—climbing into bed with Thatch. A sleepy Thatch grouches in protest about him taking his pillow back, only to roll over with a loud snore, ultimately letting go of Marco's pillow in the process. Marco just chuckles, wrapping an arm around his husband and snuggling into Thatch's familiar warmth.

It doesn't take long for him to fall asleep.

Only to be woken up two minutes—actually, two hours—later by a frantic Thatch. "Marco! Marco wake up! Listen! Here, listen to this!"

Muddled from sleep, Marco groans as his husband shoves the baby monitor into his limp hand. "Wha' th' hell, Thatch? It's three in the morning yoi." His eyes feel like they'll fall out of his head at any moment. He's so tired.

"I know. But, I heard Ace on the monitor and I swore I heard him say his first word!" Thatch tells him breathlessly, roughly shaking his shoulder at the same time. "Wake up, Marco Newgate, so that you can hear your son's first words!"

"It's probably nothing but Ace's baby babble again yoi—"

"Yoi!"

Marco and Thatch freeze on the bed.

"Did he just—?"

"He did! He said his first word, Marco! And it's 'yoi!' How great is that?" Thatch whoops, flinging his arms around Marco's neck.

"It's not even a real word yoi…" Marco tells him with a snort, but Thatch is far too excited to pay his words any attention.

The chef scrambles out of bed, heading straight for Ace's room and nearly colliding with the doorframe in the process. Marco follows his husband a moment later to find Ace standing in his crib on little, chubby legs and gripping the rail tight to keep himself up. Apparently thrilled to see his parents up and about, Ace does a little bounce as he giggles. Inadvertently, Ace falls back onto his bottom after letting go of the rail which he thought had been great fun because the baby claps his hands afterward. "Ubub," Ace gurgles, arms reaching out toward Thatch to be picked up. Thatch easily complies with his son's request.

"Ace, say it again. Say 'yoi' for us," Thatch says, pulling Ace's hand away from his mouth. "Come on, you can do it, buddy. We know you can."

Ace's eyes shift from Thatch to Marco. The infant wiggles in excitement in Thatch's arms before reaching towards his blonde father, all the while repeatedly chirping, "Yoi, yoi, yoi, yoi!" at Marco. Much to Thatch's pleasure as he passes Ace over to his husband.

Marco groans. It's cute, he'll give Ace that, but he wishes his son's first understandable word—if one can call 'yoi' a word—had been something else. Like 'pops' or 'dada' or something along those lines. Bouncing Ace on his hip, Marco tries to steer his infant son into saying another word. "How about 'dada,' Ace? Can you say 'dada' or 'pops,' that would make your daddies really happy yoi."

As soon as he let slip his verbal tic, Marco knew he'd lost the battle. "Yoi, yoi, yoi!" Ace crows, reaching one tiny hand up to Marco's face to grab at his jaw. "Yoi!"

Marco melts under his son's touch, giving up. For now, anyhow. "Alright, yoi it is yoi. I guess this is officially you're very first word yoi." Marco sighs. Ace claps his hand against Marco's jaw, gurgling happily as he lays his head onto his father's chest.

"Hehe, I guess this means Fossa wins the bet after all," Thatch smirks, carding his fingers through Ace's hair.

"Looks that way yoi."

"Don't worry too much about it, Marco. He'll be saying 'pops' and 'dada before too long. It might happen later today or tomorrow or two days from now or a couple of weeks from now or—"

"Om-om! Yoi!"

Their attention is drawn to Ace who is pulling at his lower jaw in impatience, signaling that it's time to eat.

Marco and Thatch both laugh.

"I hear you, Ace. Come on, let's get you something to eat while your Pops gets a couple more hours of shut-eye, okay?" Thatch lifts Ace out of Marco's hold and pecks his husband on the cheek. "Say night, night!"

"Yoi-yoi!"

As Marco climbs back underneath the covers, he can't help but secretly feel proud to hear Ace repeat after him. Even if he's not saying an actual word. Eyes drifting closed, Marco's last thoughts before sleep were of how he can't wait for Ace to start talking in actual sentences or the pitter patter of his little feet running down the hall.

* * *

To my wonderful readers and reviewers: Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! A bit late. Sorry about that, guys. But, here is chapter five and I hope you guys enjoy it.

So, I know I said in the beginning this will end in six or seven chapters, but I have decided to extend it to a couple more chapters. I have it in mind to end "One Winter's Night" once Ace reaches the age of five and we're getting there. Slowly, but surely, we're getting there.

Again, thank you so much for your reviews and I look forward to reading more.

Until chapter six,

Runa


	6. Spending the Day with Grandpops

**CH 6: Spending the Day with Grandpops**

[Picking Up Ace]

Wrapped up in the warmest, heaviest blanket they own, a runny nosed Thatch follows his father-in-law out into the cold to his car in shuffling steps. A steady stream of snot drips from his nose, which Thatch hurriedly wipes away as he asks, "Are you sure you don't mind watchin' him, Pops?"

Thatch sneezes into his blanket.

"Of course, I don't mind watching my grandson, Thatch!" Newgate tells the chef, bouncing Ace against his chest. Ace makes an "uhuhuhuhuh" sound as his grandpops bounces him. "Having fun there, kiddo? Gurarara! Don't worry about us, Thatch, we're going to have so much fun today. Aren't we, Ace?"

"Wahwahwahwah!" Ace throws himself back into his grandpop's arms.

"Ace seems excited about spending the day with me," Newgate remarks, grinning. He bends over to blow raspberries against Ace's neck, causing the infant to wiggle and laugh uncontrollably in his arms. Seeing Thatch's anxious expression, Newgate is quick to reassure his son's husband. "We'll be fine, Thatch. I promise. Besides, you're sick and you need to get some rest."

"It's just a little cold…" Thatch hesitates, but a coughing fit forces him to give in to his father-in-law's offer to take Ace off his hands for the day. "You're right. I'm just being an enormous—" sneeze "—worry wort, I guess. If you're sure then—" cough, hack, cough "—have your camera ready at all times, because Ace looks close to taking his first solo steps and it'd kill us, not literally, if we didn't get to see them. Oh, also—" another sneeze "—we're waiting on him to say his first word other than 'yoi,' so keep that in mind too. And—" a second, harsher coughing fit.

Newgate raises a hand, cutting Thatch off. "Thanks for the heads up, Thatch, I think I got it. Now you listen to me, don't worry about the two of us, we'll be fine, you just get back in bed and focus on getting better. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good lad," Newgate turns to buckle Ace into his car seat. "Tell your daddy 'bye-bye,' Ace."

"Yoi-yoi! Gaga!" Is Ace's enthusiastic farewell.

"I love you, Ace. Have a great time with your grandpops!" Thatch calls out, waving as Pops backs out of the driveway. A meaningful honk sends him shuffling back inside to his bed where he feebly collapses into a plump pile of blankets and pillows.

As sick and miserable as he is, Thatch misses his son already.

* * *

[Pumpkin Playtime]

For the next ten minutes or so, Ace's grandpops aimlessly drives them around town looking around for something fun they can do together. Thinking on it, Newgate muses to himself there really isn't all that much to do with a child who's not even a year old yet. There's always the park or a baby friendly playground, he supposes. Because Ace liked being swung in a swing and going on walks where he's able to see all sorts of new things, Newgate goes with that idea. However, just then, he passes a pumpkin patch where he's suddenly struck by a memory and inspiration.

During Marco's first autumn, Newgate bought him his very first pumpkin and let him root around in its guts. He remembers a baby Marco having a blast back then. Perhaps, too, Ace will have just as much fun. "Ace, want to pick out a pumpkin with Grandpops?"

"Ma-bu!" Ace trills from his car seat.

"To the pumpkin patch we go then!"

"Yoi!"

They end up having a great time choosing a pumpkin. Ace, with his grandpops holding his hands, toddles from pumpkin to pumpkin—giving each one of them a hug. Eventually, they go with a pumpkin that Newgate suspiciously believes Ace liked or was drawn to because it's somewhat shaped like Marco's head. Naturally, he snaps a quick picture of Ace and his pumpkin to send to Marco and Thatch.

No doubt Marco will gripe while Thatch gets a kick out of it.

With their pumpkin in tow, they head to Newgate's home where an excited Stefan greets them at the door, tail wagging a million miles a minute as they enter the house. Ace is only too happy to see his favorite dog. "Alright, how about you sit tight in your playpen while I get things set up in the kitchen," Newgate sets his grandson down into playpen amongst his collection of toys. He addresses Stefan. "Keep an eye on him."

It's several minutes later, as he's in the kitchen, Newgate hears Ace giggling uncontrollably and Stefan barking. Curious, but mostly concerned, Ace's grandfather sets down the knife he'd been using to cut open the pumpkin to check out what's happening in the living room. Ace is standing, dressed in an adorable pair of overalls with a lion on the front with an equally adorable grin on his face, chucking his toys out of his playpen where Stefan snatches them up and drops them back in with Ace. They were having the time of their lives, apparently.

"Gurarara, having fun, you two?" Newgate saunters over, lifting Ace out of his playpen. Stefan drops the last toy back into Ace's playpen before sauntering up to his master's side. The large dog rubs his head against Newgate's leg and Ace's grandfather obligies by giving his head a pat. "Good boy. Now, let's go make a huge mess."

Just as Newgate expected, Ace enjoys grabbing and pulling at pumpkin guts. And tasting it all. Rind included. Ace gives it a lick and scrunches up his face adorably. "Guarara, didn't much care for that did you?" Newgate laughs. His chuckles deepen as he watches Ace give the pumpkin a good whack only to still, head to one side, at the sound it makes. Ace repeats the motion and the pumpkin makes a hollow sounding thud. It amuses the infant to no end.

After amusing himself this way over the course of several minutes, Ace goes back to sticking his hand through the pumpkin's carved opening to pull out globs of gooey pumpkin guts. A fistful of it—plus seeds—almost makes it into his mouth, but his grandpops is quick to keep him from stuffing it all into his mouth. Ace glares at his grandpops. "Your glares don't scare me, kiddo. Let's take out those seeds and make this a little smaller before you stuff it all in your mouth." Newgate picks out the seeds of the now much smaller portion of pumpkin goo, allowing Ace to bring it to his mouth. Ace spits it out immediately afterward.

"It tastes much better in a pie," Newgate admittedly tells Ace.

An hour passes them by. Ace has grown bored and rolls to his knees, intending to crawl off in search of something new to do. His grandpops, however, scoops him up, chiding him gently. "Bath first, little man. Look at yourself, you're covered in pumpkin goop. After I get you cleaned up, I'll clean up the kitchen and then we'll have dinner. I bet you're hungry."

Ace starts to pull at his lip, much to his grandpop's amusement.

"I figured as much."

* * *

[Saying Goodnight]

Marco calls while he and Ace are enjoying dinner.

"Hello? Marco?" Newgate presses his phone to his ear with one hand and feeding Ace a spoonful of baby food with his other.

" _Pops?"_

Newgate's brows furrow at the sound of his son's hoarse voice. "Marco, you alright?"

There's a sneeze and a following sneeze from somewhere in the distance. Most likely Thatch. _"I've caught Thatch's cold. I hate to ask, Pops, but would you mind keeping Ace tonight? Hopefully tomorrow one, or both of us, will be f-f-f-ACHOO!"_ Marco sniffles. He sounds awful and Newgate's heart aches for his son and Thatch. No matter how old his son gets, Newgate will always worry. _"Hopefully, we'll be feeling better yoi."_

"I don't mind at all, Marco. Thatch packed him an extra pair of clothes anyway and there's plenty of formula and baby food here for him. Don't you guys worry, Ace is in good hands with me. He can stay here as long as long as it takes for his daddies to get better."

" _That's great. But, I don't think he'll have to stay longer than a night yoi."_

"The offers there if it turns out that's the case."

" _Thanks Pops,"_ there's a pause and Newgate can hear Thatch's hoarsely mutter in the distance. _"Thatch wants to say goodnight to Ace, as do I yoi."_

"Of course," Newgate puts the phone on speaker and holds it up, screen facing Ace. "Go ahead you two."

" _Goodnight Ace! We love you so much! Hope you had a great time with your grandpops today,"_ Thatch croaks, breaking off into several coughs.

Next up is Marco, sounding just as bad off as his partner. _"Night, night, Ace. I love you and hope to see you tomorrow. Be good for your grandpops for us."_

Recognizing the sound of his fathers' voices, Ace reaches out towards the phone. For them. Then, "Ni-ni, dadas!"

There's a celebratory whoop from Marco and Thatch's end. Newgate beams proudly down at his grandson.

" _He did it!"_ He hears Marco and Thatch both shout, no doubt making their sore throats even worse. _"Ace has officially said his first words! Ace, your daddies are so proud of you and, oh man, I think I'm going to cry. I can't believe we aren't there to see this."_

Thatch sounds so broken-hearted, but his father-in-law completely understands. "I know it's not the same thing, but at least you guys got to hear it in person over the phone."

" _That's true. I guess, Pops. Man, I hope he doesn't start walking between tonight and tomorrow. I'll really be bummed out then."_ There's a definite pout in the chef's voice.

"Yoi-yoi!" Ace slaps his hands down onto his highchair. Done with the conversation and demanding to be spooned the rest of his food, Ace scrunches up his face in displeasure. Or taking another crap. It might just be a combination of both.

On the note of, "We'll see you guys tomorrow, goodnight," Newgate hangs up to finish feeding Ace the last couple of spoonfuls before giving him his bedtime bottle. After they both finish eating, Newgate gets Ace ready for bed, dressing his grandson in a pair of spare pajamas that are almost too small on Ace. "Looks like someone is getting to be a big boy, huh? We'll get you a brand-new set tomorrow since these are getting too small for you."

Once Ace is in his pjs and with a fresh diaper, Newgate gently rocks and hums Ace to sleep before easing his grandson down into the crib. Stefan trots into his bedroom, sated from his own dinner, to curl up at the foot of Ace's crib where the dog lets out a sigh of contentment and is soon drifting off to sleep.

"Good night, Ace. I love you and sweet dreams."

An hour later, Ace's weary grandpops climbs into his bed after cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. Namely, Ace's messy highchair. Within minutes of rolling over onto his side, facing Ace's crib, Edward Newgate falls asleep and dreams of his day spent with his grandson.

* * *

Woot! Look at how quickly I updated! I'm happy how this chapter turned out as I've been wanting to include a scene with just Ace and his grandpops. Ah! And Stefan too, of course. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Thank you for your reviews! They make me so happy reading them.

Until chapter seven,

Runa


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